The present invention relates to an automatic frozen-product vending machine, and more particularly, to a shelf for housing products in an automatic vending machine in selling ice cream retained in bags.
A shelf for housing products or ice cream has already been known, wherein wrapped ice cream is stacked in a square hollow rack, and upon sale of the ice cream, a spiral wire is rotated at a half turn driven by a motor, and the ice cream is delivered one by one from a lower part of a case. (Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. 59-08978.)
While such a shelf for housing products avoids problems of damages to the wrapping and deformation of the products due to accumulated ice, ice generally grows on a surface of the shelf, because the shelf is made of a steel sheet. Accordingly, a large number of ribs has been disposed longitudinally on a rack guide face for guiding the products such that the contact area of the rack with the products is reduced (Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. 59-108978). It would be more effective if these ribs were made of plastic which does not hold ice as easily as steel.
However, if plastic ribs are formed on the entire surface of the rack wall, it causes a trouble of increasing cost.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to minimize the cost of forming plastic ribs, and moreover, to provide a shelf for housing products in an automatic frozen-product vending machine designed for delivering the products smoothly by allowing ice to accumulate only at harmless locations on the rack.